Intervention of the Civil Society MechanismOn the importance of consultations

18 October 2012Rome, Italy

My name is Magimai Appakuti of Tamil Nadu Dalit Women's Movement in India and of the Asian Rural Women's Coalition (ARWC). I speak as part of the Civil Society Mechanism (CSM). I am a member of a women farmers' group doing collective farming.

Consultations about agricultural investments are important to us. It is not an academic nor a technical exercise but it is a sharing of our daily struggles, experiences, and knowledge of the land, water, seeds, forests and other resources on which our lives and livelihood depend on.

The full and active involvement of the Civil Society, especially who are most affected by food insecurity, poverty and hunger -- the small-holder food producers, indigenous peoples, pastoralists, fisherfolk, agricultural workers, Dalits, rural women, rural poor and youth, is the only way to build these principles in line with the mandate of the reformed CFS.

Local to regional consultation processes ensure that our voices, strategies and recommendations will be heard and represented.

From these, realities will be drawn to develop a global instrument on investment. The consultation processes to develop the principles need to be considered very carefully by the Member States.

We would like to respectfully ask that States fully support the autonomous and meaningful consultations of Civil Society especially with the stakeholders most affected by food insecurity, and recognise that mobilising resources is not an easy task but must be considered a priority.